=The Care of the Nose, Throat, and Ears.=—It will be most profitable to consider the care of the nose, throat, and ears together, since the mucous membrane lining these cavities is continuous, and so there is always great danger of an inflammation of one extending to the others. It has been calculated that about one-third of our adult population are notably deaf in one or both ears. In the majority of cases deafness is the result of colds and throat troubles, and much can be done to prevent its occurrence. The nose communicates through the nasal fossæ with the nasopharynx, and the mucous membrane lining the nose is continuous with that lining the throat. The nose performs four important functions—it serves as a passageway for the air in breathing, and it warms, moistens, and filters the inspired air; it is the organ of smell; it aids in phonation; and it affords ventilation to the ears and accessory sinuses. But by far its most important function is the rôle which the nose plays in respiration. To supply the large amount of water necessary to moisten the inspired air, it has been calculated that about one pint of water must be secreted by the nose daily; part of this amount of moisture is furnished by the tears. Mouth-breathing always causes dryness of the throat. The filtration of the air is accomplished first through the action of the hairs at the external margin of the nose, which hinder the entrance of large particles, and, second, by the adherence of small particles to the moist surface of the intricate passages of the nose and nasopharynx. The microbes are expelled with the dust; in addition to this, the nose probably has the power of destroying any bacteria through the action of its germicidal mucus. _Obstruction of the Nasal Passages._—In adults the commonest modes of obstruction are the bending of the nasal septum to one side, or by a thickening of the septum by which one nostril may be completely closed up. The occlusion may also be due to the swelling of the mucous membrane or the presence of polypi. In children the most common form of obstruction of the nose is by the adenoids and the enlargement of the tonsils; this enlargement may be so great as to prevent nasal breathing and interfere with the normal ventilation of the ears. _The Throat or Pharynx._—The throat or pharynx is the upper and funnel-like portion of the alimentary canal, which is seen at the back part of the mouth. It extends up back of the nose. The cavity of the throat is somewhat separated from that of the mouth by the soft palate. This is a membranous curtain, which is attached to the posterior part of the hard palate. The pendulous part of the soft palate is known as the uvula. The uvula sometimes becomes so greatly relaxed that it rests on the base of the tongue, which causes a constant irritation and slight cough, a condition which is easily relieved by a few astringent applications.